Sauce - Issue 85, 7-1-09

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. ISSUE 85 . JAN 07 - JAN 20 2009 . TASMANIA’S STREET PRESS

l a m m Ma ’! in o d t s u j e ’r y e Th ’, in k s a t o N E ’R Y THE The SOUNDSCAPE FESTIVAL:

FIND OUT WHEN CUT COP Y / BRI TIS H IND IA / PNA U ARE ON... INSIDE! PLUS: Between the Buried and Me Two Fresh Mick Harvey Wei-Shen Rosie Burgess Dougie MacLean New Saxons Emma Fair Band Games: Lips Film: Best and Worst of 2008 Falls Pictorial Hot Mods and whatever else we can fit in!

Weekends at Irish Murphy’s Hobart

We got it covered!

The best bands. Your favourite tunes.

Every Friday and Saturday night on the waterfront.

HOBART | 21 Salamanca Place

Sunday through Thursday, growing new music and nurturing good times

6223 1119 | www.irishmurphys.com.au

ROCK - MELBOURNE // MAMMAL

Fans Help Build a Better Album

SAUCE #80, we spoke to Mammal about their live show, which you’ll soon be treated to at The oInSoundscape Festival. But what of the content of their show? Their recent release, The Majority will undoubtedly inform the, ahem, majority of their set. Guitarist, Peter Williamson, spoke with us about the album, which was fully funded before the band hit the studio... by the band’s fanbase.

Saturday January 17 2009

“There’s a few other bands that have done it before,” says Peter of the generosity of his band’s fans. “It was something that I just brainstormed, thinking, ‘how can we do this and move forward without having to ask someone for a large amount of money?’ We’ve got all these people that would love to invest in the product, being the fans, and for them to part with their twenty dollars a lot earlier to support the process – in the end, we didn’t say to them that we were gonna do this, but in the end we put all the people’s names into the artwork that pre-bought the record, so we kind of gave something special back to those people so it made them feel like a part of the process.”

LOCATION Only a few blocks from the heart of the city, The Domain Regatta Grounds, Hobart is the waterfront location for The Soundscape Festival.

This sense of ownership seems to be really important to today’s audiences. Peter agrees. “Yeah, absolutely.

In the future we might think of doing things like providing content like studio footage or things like that to those people, where they get exclusive content as a way of helping support the process.”

GETTING THERE AND BACK The Domain Regatta Grounds is located along the Eastern side of the Tasman Highway and Liverpool Street junction, only a few blocks east of Hobart’s CBD area. All patrons will need to park on the city side of the Tasman Highway. Metro busses will be running on the day of the festival and details regarding timetables for the 17th of January 2009 can be found at www.metrotas.com.au.

The Soundscape Festival is a fully licensed event - patrons planning on enjoying a few drinks are advised to consider making use of public transport for both their safety and others. There will be a strong police presence at and around the event.

And perhaps the album title itself was a shout-out to the fans, “and it’s kind of like we’re expanding too, as well, so as it expands more and more people get on board and appreciate the band and the music, so it was definitely a big part in naming it The Majority, because without everyone it wouldn’t have been possible,” Peter says.

The album’s polished, tight groove and high production values match, or even outstrip, other albums that have been funded by labels with more liberal purse-strings.

Peter welcomes the praise, but admits it wasn’t an easy process. “We’ve always been focused from day one on what we were trying to achieve and, y’know, that record was a challenge because we did it in twelve days in a studio here in Melbourne and then, post that, we had to kind of let go, because the producer was from America and then, obviously, flew home.”

“Mixes were done... via FTP [File Transfer Protocol – your techy Ed], and we’re not hearing the same stuff, so it was a real challenge to make that record, but, by the same respects, it did capture a great energy and it’s been a great addition to introduce new people to

WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

STAGES Located at the northern end of the Domain Regatta Grounds, the Main stage is perfectly positioned at the bottom of the gently sloping grassy parklands, providing every patron with an excellent vantage point. Keeping the live music action flowing seamlessly throughout the day, the Derwent Stage offers panoramic river views for when you’re not looking at the bands!

“…If we got some space there might be something quick and fast dropped...” the band and, y’know, we’re already writing for the next one, because for you it’s so fresh but for us it’s six months ago, which it’s still – we love it, we’re still promoting it really hard, we’re out there and touring it, but creatively we’re definitely moving on to the next record as well which is really starting to always be that step ahead of what’s going on, y’know?”

So what are the chances we’ll hear some of those new songs at The Soundscape Festival this month? “We’re having a bit of a debate about that at the moment!”

Peter tantalises. “Look, we may drop one in there.

We’ve got a fair bit of content now that we haven’t really toured with this latest record and so there’s so much to fit in our set, especially because it is a shorter set, there’s a lot of great songs off this new record that we’ll play like The Majority, Smash the Pinata, The Aural Underground – these will probably be staples of the next touring set. If we got some space there might be something quick and fast dropped…” sCHRIS RATTRAY

SOUNDSCAPE LINEUP MAIN STAGE 10.00 -11.00 8.35 – 9.35 7.15 – 8.10 5.25 – 6.15 3.55 – 4.40 2.15 – 3.25 12:55 – 1.40 12.05 – 12.30

Pnau Cut Copy British India Behind Crimson Eyes Bomba The Getaway Plan Mammal Chi-Roh

DERWENT STAGE 9.35 – 10.00 8.10 – 8.35 6.20 – 7.10 4.40 – 5.25 3.25 – 3.55 1.40 – 2.15 12.30 – 12:55 11.40 – 12.05

Guest DJ Guest DJ Muph & Plutonic Phrase Let the Cat Out D’Opus and Roshambo The Trolls The Frets

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM Hobart Council Centre 16 Elizabeth St, Hobart - 03 6238 2150 Tommy Gun Records 102 Elizabeth St, Hobart - 03 6234 2039 The Republic Bar 299 Elizabeth St, Nth Hobart - 03 6234 6954 Ruffcut Records 33a Elizabeth Mall, Hobart - 03 6234 8600 Mojo Music 81 Brisbane St, Launceston - 03 6334 5677 Red Hot CD’s 144b William St, Devonport - 03 6424 9816 0 See www.thesoundscapefestival.com for up-to-the-minute details.

. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

3

EDSPACE

#85- January 7 to January 20

Contents: 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Mammal / The Soundscape Festival Edspace / News / Comps / MONA FOMA Workshops / Off the Shelf Rosie Burgess Two Fresh / Between the Buried and Me Dougie MacLean Wei-Shen / Deux Pervertis Mick Harvey DJ Tristan / New Saxons ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Loren Kate / The Emma Fair Band Falls Festival Pictorial / Gig Reviews Hot Mods Zzapped!

Cinecism ROFLMAO Street Fashion / CD Reviews

Sauce Team:

Phone: 03 6331 0701 General Manager - Advertising:

David Williams Email: david@sauce.net.au Editor: Chris Rattray Email: chris@sauce.net.au Art Director: Simon Hancock Email: simon@sauce.net.au Opinions expressed in Sauce are not necessarily those of the Editor or staff. Sauce Publishing accepts no liability for the accuracy of advertisements.

No, what I’m trying to say, in a roundabout way, is that SAUCE Towers has moved! Yes, we’ve relocated! Down the hall! On the same floor, in the same tower! Betwixt the kitchen and the toilet! We are now the intestinal fortitude of the building. This, no doubt, is of merely passing interest to the average reader, however, who is probably still wondering how I managed to kludge a nebulous Doctor Who analogy into this column. I’ll explain later.

The other thing that’s changed, besides fitting all of SAUCE into a smaller room (which happens to be bigger on the inside, fortunately), is that founding member, publisher, team-leader and Lord High Great Ming-Mong of All, Mr. David Williams, has moved. To Hobart! But he remains holder of all the above-mentioned titles, as well as that of General and Advertising Manager. So take note! All advertising enquiries are to go to David, editorial enquiries to me, and artistic enquiries to Simon (contact details below the contents). This is streamlining to the max! X-treme!

Speaking of streamlined, this edition of SAUCE is still packed full of goodness (and is bigger on the inside) – you probably skipped The Soundscape Festival feature on page three in your eagerness to get to this column. Understandable.

You might also like to further peruse this page for some invaluable MONA FOMA information, like the FREE BUS info and workshop schedule. A free bus to Hobart to see Nick Cave?

I’ll buy that for a dollar! But I don’t have to! It’s free!

Next Edition: Sauce #86 - 21/01/09 to 03/01/09 Ad Artwork Deadline 16/01/09 @ 3pm

MONA FOMA WORKSHOPS AND MASTER CLASSES Wednesday, January 7 - 8 10am - 4:30pm Cameroon Goold (Propaganda Klann) – Hip Hop Workshops. Pulse Youth Centre, Glenorchy Wednesday, January 7 - 9 9:30am - 12:30pm Fiona Burnett – Open Rehearsal Recital Hall, Level 1 UTAS Conservatorium Wednesday, January 7 1pm - 4pm Eugene Chadbourne – Music Making with Found Objects. Recital Hall, Level 1 UTAS Conservatorium Thursday, January 8 - 9 1pm - 4pm Eugene Chadbourne – Open Rehearsal Recital Hall, Level 1 UTAS Conservatorium Friday, January 9 4pm - 5:30pm DJ TR!P – Secrets of Modern Music The Venue, Salamanca Arts Centre Saturday, January 10 10:30am - 1:30pm The Zen Circus – Busking Salamanca Arts Courtyard 11am - 1pm BalletLab – Masterclass with Philip Adams Ogilvie School Dance Studio 1pm - 2pm Ansgar Wallenhorst – Lecture Demonstration - St. David’s Cathedral Register to participate at www.mofo.net.au Call 03 6224 3752 for more info

SAUCE STICKER WINNER

Just like us. sCHRIS RATTRAY chris@sauce.net.au

Contributors: Carl Fidler, Dave Venter, David Quinn, David Walker, Glenn Moorhouse, James Young, Justin Heazlewood, Lalani Hyatt, Lochie James, Meegan May, Michael Blake, Mick Lowenstein, Mike Wilcox, Tabitha Fletcher, Tiarne Double

MONA FOMA WORKSHOPS

“Change, my dear. And not a moment too soon!” so said Colin Baker’s Doctor upon his regeneration from Peter Davison, back in 1985, on the old Doctor Who, where budgets were tighter, as were waistbands (with that particular regeneration, anyway), but imagination still soared.

And, like the Doctor, SAUCE Towers has regenerated! But you shouldn’t take that to mean we’ve developed a blonde bouffant and terrible dress sense - au contraire! – our hair is fashionably trendy, just like our clothes.

Well, I have only one pair of jeans, but they’re very groovy, and washed frequently.

MONA FOMA - FREE BUS SERVICE LAUNCESTON TO HOBART MONA FOMA is offering a free bus service from Launceston to Hobart for two events - Sunday at Moorilla, departing at 9:30am and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, departing at 4:30pm. The bus service will also travel back from Hobart to Launceston. Buses depart Launceston Redline Terminal, Transit Centre Cnr St John & Cimitiere Sts Sunday January 11 (Sunday at Moorilla) From: Dept Laun: 09:30, Arr Moorilla: 12:00 (gates open 12:30) Dept Moorilla 19:00, Arr Laun 21:30

SOUNDSCAPE SHOWCASE PLAYOFFS RESULTS Congratulations to Chi-Roh and The Trolls! The Soundscape Showcase playoffs was a huge night of musical madness, with The Republic Bar packed to the rafters and eight awesome Tasmanian acts pulling out all the stops between ligtning stage changes. After an agonising scrutiny of the extremely close results, ChiRoh and The Trolls emerged victorious. They will join the stellar 2009 Soundscape lineup set to ignite the Domain Regatta grounds on January 17. While there were two winners from amongst the bands, the real winner was the Save The Tasmanian Devil Appeal with over $1,000 donated by generous patrons, aiding vital research into the survival of Tasmania’s iconic species. www.thesoundscapefestival.com FATLIP DIARY Dave Venter reflects on the year that’s been and the year to come…

As we have just dawned on a new year. It’s a time where most of us will reflect on the past and focus on the future. 2008 was a massive year for FatLip Studios. Its clear mission was to influence and support the Tasmanian music scene. I believe we have definitely achieved that, and will continue to do so in 2009.

Heres a little list of some of the recorded artists from last year...

This Future... Chaos, Mindset, Mad Intentions, Grrr, Daniel Bicanski, The Framed, The Turnaround, James Dilger, Chantelle Hemelar, Zion’s Hill Church, My Escapade, Brett Budgeon, Vulgar Shoe.

Coming up in 2009...

Breakfast Balcony, YoungerDryas, Deligma, Taberah, Resilient, Midnight, Ablaze, Shine On, Casanova, Satanicus, The Darkest Winter, The Dirty Love.

DAVE VENTER 4

. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

The latest from Top Shelf @ Irish Murphy’s Launceston...

Hola Senors y Senoritas! Top Shelf at Irish is back tonight (Wed 7th) after a week’s break (Carl and I sunning ourselves on foreign shores to the smooth sounds of a Portuguese Bowie). Alas, all things must come to an end so here we are back in Launceston readying ourselves for a massive new season of Top Shelf. After a successful two months we are looking to produce an even bigger and better event every Wednesday so please keep coming along and supporting these great nights.

Tonight, Wednesday January 7, we see the return of The Emma Fair Band supported by Andrew Winton. Emma Fair is a beautiful singer/songwriter from Launceston now based in Brisbane and it is a delight to welcome her back to the Irish stage. Andrew Winton comes to us all the way from WA. A roots/blues/folk lap steel guitar player (featuring a seven string Wintonbeast!), Andrew has numerous accolades to his name as well as playing alongside such aussie favourites as Josh Pyke, Ash Grunwald and Jeff Lang. If you are into your roots music then don’t miss this event, I know how many of you love to hear the next big thing and this is your chance to get on that train.

Now if you were one of those people curled up on X-mas Eve waiting patiently for the big red guy with your cookies and milk then you’re one of the few that missed out on Top Shelf at Irish’s party of the year!

Wednesday December 24 saw three of our finest acts take to the stage and deliver a show like no other. As you could imagine putting three acts on one night can be a logistical nightmare but thanks to the professionalism of all concerned we succeeded.

First up we had Mick Attard and Stu Van (of Embers fame) who delivered an imaginative set of songs utilising guitar, double bass, keys and beats. Once again Mick played and sang superbly, I can’t say enough how much I enjoy this man’s work. Stu sat on the double bass most of the show before moving onto his experimentation of beats and sounds which, as one would expect, took the mood to another place. It was a bit of a surprise to us all but we are proud to have given these guys the opportunity to diversify their sound.

Could be an interesting place where they end up.

NEWS

Monday January 12 (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ Derwent Entertainment Centre) Dept Laun: 16:30, Arr DEC: 19:00 (gates open 18:30) Dept DEC 23:30, Arr Laun: 2:00 To book your place go to: mofo.net.au/buses

OFF THE SHELF

IS THIS YOUR REGO? YOU WIN! If this is your car, email a pic of yourself in front of your rego to competitions@sauce.net.au, with STICKER WINNER in the subject line by Friday 16th of January @ 5pm to win four new release CDs. In the body of the email, let us know what genres of music you’d prefer the CDs to be from.

JACKPOT!!!

If you don’t let us know in time, the prize will JACKPOT, so next edition there will be eight CDs to be won. And so on …

To get in on the action, get a SAUCE sticker (email chris@sauce.net.au with your postal address and CAR STICKER in the subject line if you want one!) and whack it on your vehicle! One vehicle with a sticker displayed will be chosen each edition to win the CDs. Check each edition of SAUCE to see if you’ve won. It’s that easy!

Nathan Wheldon and The Two Timers produced an amazing set with a full seven piece outfit including horn section and showed the crowd why they are one of the highest quality acts going around. Nathan’s songs thrived in this musical environment and from the look on his face, so did he!

Last up we had Foreign Films who once again delivered an awesome performance. With a legion of fans watching their every move they tore through their set of soaring vocals and melodic guitar lines. Well done Foreign Films.

Wednesday January 14 Mayfield will perform along with Sarah Neep. This promises to be an exciting night of music as this is the annual Rock Summer School jam night where feature artists from the school take to the stage and cook the night away. Question is, can we top last years effort? F*#k yeah!! sCARL FIDLER & GLENN MOORHOUSE

0 Grab the best off the Top Shelf! Every Wednesday night @ Irish Murphy’s, Launceston

COLLECTOR’S CORNER

CDs & DVDs New + Second Hand

392 - 394 Elizabeth St. North Hobart Ph: 03 6234 5975

37 Wilson St Burnie 03 6431 6616 WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

FOLK - MELBOURNE // ROSIE BURGESS

A Rosie on Any Other Plane

is waiting at Melbourne airport, and I’m surprised she can hear my call over the incessant loudspeaker announcements. “We’re flying oRosie up to Woodford to the Folk Festival, we’ve got a few gigs up there for the New Year,” she says, dispelling my illusions that she just hangs out at

airports, flogging off her latest album, Wait For the World. “It’s a huge festival hey, probably one of our biggest festivals, I think. They have about 120 000 people go through there, it goes for seven days!”

“This is my first appearance so it’s pretty exciting,” she continues, her enthusiasm drowning out the loudspeaker blaring in the background. “I’m playing with my little trio. I’ve got Sam [Lohs] on drums and harmonies, and Sophie [Kinston] on electric violin.

We’re playing on a few different stages, but we’ve got a really good gig on the main blues and roots stage so that’ll be great.”

And what makes it even better is that she’ll be playing ahead of a couple of her personal idols. “We’re very luckily playing just before Juzzie Smith and Jeff Lang; I can’t wait to see both of them play. I love Jeff Lang – he’s such an inspiration for his guitar playing, and his songwriting is so different and yeah… I’m definitely looking forward to that.”

How much of her set list will consist of tracks from the new album? “Quite a lot of it will be, actually,” she says. “That’s what we’re doing at the moment, is we’re pretty much touring around Australia playing lots and lots of songs off the new album and a few songs from the past album just to kind of introduce the new stuff to people and kind of give a bit of the old stuff as well.

It’s a good balance, but there’s definitely more of the new, I reckon.”

“We’ve been getting really good feedback,” she says, of the crowd response so far. “Like, in both – like the live show and the album it seems to be striking a good balance between playing what’s on the album but also giving a good live show so that people have got something new and exciting to listen to at the same time. So, yeah – ‘cos it’s always a bit nerve-wracking when you’re putting out a new album and then you go on tour with it and then you hope they’ll enjoy the show as well as the album. So far it’s been great feedback and great response.”

much right out the front door and then it just came in, and then [we] were just stocking up on copies… I think, probably a lot of their friends got a few albums for Christmas…”

So are her parents her biggest fans or her harshest critics? “My parents have been really great. They strike this excellent chord were they come to just the right number of gigs – I think I’d freak out if they were at every gig – and then they’re wonderfully complimentary and then sometimes my Mum says to me things like, ‘Now Rosie, remember to finish all the words at the end of the sentences!’ If she ever does offer me any criticism it’s always very sweet and well presented.”

“…if she loves it, she immediately tells me all the reasons why she loves it...”

Brutally honest feedback comes from somewhere closer. “I can always tell, when I play a song to my partner – if she loves it, she immediately tells me all the reasons why she loves it. If she doesn’t like it, she kinda says, ‘Oh yeah… that was great…’” Rosie chuckles. “She’s absolutely incapable of lying, so I’ve got a really great feedback bouncing board right there!

But, y’know, she doesn’t always get what page I’m on, so if I really like a song and she doesn’t, it doesn’t mean I won’t play it, but it certainly gives me something else to think about.”

It seems her new album would have made a great Christmas present for her family. But “they didn’t have to wait for Christmas!” she laughs, “they were pretty

sCHRIS RATTRAY

Give Rosie something to think about!

0 January 9 @ Cygnet Folk Festival 0 January 14 @ The Republic Bar, Hobart 0 January 15 @ Brookfield Vineyard

REPUBLIC BAR & CAFE

Tix Available Online www.republicbar.com WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14

299 Elizabeth St North Hobart Ph. 6234 6954 TUESDAY JANUARY 20

FRIDAY JANUARY 16

ROSIE BURGESS WHITLEY $20 / 24 10PM + MILK

Wednesday, 7 January Thursday, 8 January Friday, 9 January Saturday, 10 January

$10 9PM

+ WASHINGTON + LISA MITCHELL

Pete Cornellius & The Deviles

Sunday, 11 January Sunday, 11 January

Monday, 12 January

+ Linc & The Insiders

$5 9pm

Andrew Winton + Women In Docs MONA FOMA D.J. Trip (Adelaide)

$5 9pm

+ DuOud (France)

9:30pm

Wednesday, 14 January Thursday, 15 January

MONA FOMA Propaganda Klann (Melb) + F@*k Buttons (UK)

LOREN Friday, 16 January

GUNS FOR GLORY

+ ANGIE BOXALL + BALLPOINT

Dougie MacLean (Scotland) + Jill & Matt Barber (Canada)

$30 9pm

Rosie Burgess + Milk Kitto9 Whitley

$10 9pm

+ Washington + Lisa Mitchell 10pm

MONA FOMA Hawksley Workman (Canada) + Filastine (Spain) No Cover

9pm

Jill & Matt Barber (Canada)

3pm

Saturday, 17 January Sunday, 18 January Monday, 19 January Tuesday, 20 January

WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

FRIDAY JANUARY 23

pm $20pre /$24door 10pm

Sugartrain Merchants In Groove G.B. Balding LOREN + ANGIE BOXALL

$4 10pm 9pm 8:30pm 9pm

. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

5

DANCE - AUSTRALIA // TWO FRESH

Brothers Rave to a New Generation

THE SUITCASE Touring Travel Secrets with Dan Briggs of Between the Buried and Me “Well I was born in 1984 in Erie, Pennsylvania.

I became a Cleveland Indians fan a few years later,” says Dan, answering the question that was on the lips of fans all over Australia. “I played soccer growing up, and I started playing music when I was nine when my mom, who was a music teacher, brought home a saxophone. I then started to play guitar when I was ten and haven’t looked back since!” But will his Mom pack a clean pair of undies on tour? Find out as we peek into the gaping maw of his suitcase...

Aside from your instruments, what are the three most essential items you make sure you bring with you on tour and why?

Diskman and a booklet of CDs, because I am one of just a few people on the Earth who don’t have an iPod. Tons of socks, I have a new pair for every day of tour, same with shirts and boxers. And my phone charger I guess, I’ve lost that a few times on tour.

“We remember going to raves as 15 year olds in the early 90s and coming home to a bowl of Coco Pops and Mum asking us what the hell we were actually doing dancing all last night in the middle of nowhere,” says Jesse (Kid Kenobi) and Myles (Hugga Thugg) of their teenage nocturnal activities. “It was a complete contrast to today, back then rave culture was a complete underground affair. Nowadays dance music can be just another form of pop music - it’s been completely absorbed by mass culture. When our teenage brothers and sisters hear a dance track on the radio they just think it’s a ‘good song’ rather than anything different. Having said that, it may well be time to explain to people what rave is all about all over again!”

o

What excites you about this project?

The fact that we are taking all the music that we have ever loved and that has ever influenced us, and turning it into what we can play in clubs. It’s nice also to start a new project and experience building something from the ground up again. It’s nice to have that excitement of , “oh wicked, they booked us!” or , “oh wicked, such and such is playing our track!”

listen to music on the charts!” That blew our minds.

What does he mean?! What else is there?! So he made us a tape and the rest, as they say, is history!

How does it differ from your other alter egos and their projects?

In a nutshell it’s far more rootsy and “black” influenced than our other projects. Two Fresh is about club bangers influenced by music like dub, hip hop, reggae, soul, crunk, funk, booty, rap, and rave! We like to keep the party bouncing with much ghetto wobble and bounce!

What were some of the radio shows you used to edit together on cassette decks?

Ha ha. We would tape anything and everything. We’d find random shows of people talking and pretend we were interviewing them or record shows of music and pretend we were hosting it or make our own music and record it or pretend to be musicians being interviewed - all kinds of stupid stuff!

To what extent does going back to the music of your youth keep you young?

I think the old saying that music is timeless is true! You can hear a song that you heard when you were two or ten or 15 and feel the same feelings all over again. It’s like a time warp. I think even better than keeping you young going back to the music of your youth keeps you grounded and reminds you of why you loved music in the first place - not to make money, not to be famous, not to be successful, but for the pure love of the music itself.

How is it working with your brother‚ and what do you argue about?

Usually about minor things - which synth is working better, whose turn it is to make tea, who gets to sit in the better studio chair, who gets to play what track, who has to do the interviews (ha ha), that sort of thing.

When did you hear The Power by Snap for the first time, anyway?

Good question. I think it was when a friend of our Dad’s - a DJ, made a mixtape for us of all the stuff he was listening to. We were like, “what’s your favourite music on the charts?” And he was like, “Charts? I don’t

What’s been the most unusual thing ever thrown at you on stage?

There was a live body thrown at me at The Pound in San Fransisco a few years ago. Knocked me into Blake’s drumset right at the beginning of the wild instrumental section of Autodidact. That was pretty alarming!

Which three albums or songs keep you going when on the road?

Three? There’s so many… but the last few years I’ve had Fear Before’s The Always Open Mouth album with me everywhere I go. It’s by far my favorite CD of the last few years. Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here always gets played on overnight drives. Shine on You Crazy Diamond puts me in another world. And generally Jellyfish’s Spilt Milk album is great for the start of the day.

Where was the last place you went on tour and how was it?

Charleston, South Carolina and it was amazing! Great end to a little run we did with our friends from North Carolina.

Where’s the next destination after your tour here and how do you think it will compare?

Australia’s the next stop in January... it’s probably gonna be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. We’re all prepared to be blown away and to have a blast.

When was the last time you felt as if you’d experienced some type of culture shock on tour?

After we got done playing an early show in Holland the whole town turned orange and everything was shut done because there was a soccer game about to start. That was the reason the show ended early! It was pretty crazy.

What do you hate the most about touring?

Missing Lost when it’s on. It kills us to not see it live on the island as it’s happening.

What do you love the most about it?

Getting to play every night and seeing the world while doing it. It’s pretty incredible! Oh and stopping at Gianna’s in Philly.

What do you most look forward to when you arrive home?

Sitting down and playing guitar. I always miss it so much when we’re gone.

Who’s waiting for you there and what are they to you?

My room mates and our cat, Barf. I wouldn’t necessarily say they’re waiting for me, but they usually try and clean up before I get home which is nice.

Between the Buried and Me support Bleeding Through: 0 January 21 @ The Brisbane Hotel

And what effect did this have on you?

I think it was the same effect that the massive comet that hit earth billions of years ago, tilting it on an axis, and thus allowing life to exist.

Finally, what is a rave? What is techno?

Rave is a feeling maaaan! Nah but seriously for us it’s always been about creative freedom, loss of ego, and a belief in uniting people through music! Corny, but true! sCHRIS RATTRAY Rave one with Two Fresh!

0 February 7 @ MSFest, Launceston

124 DAVEY ST HOBART 03 6224 9494 WWW.HOTELSOHO.COM.AU

AUSTRALIA DAY PARTY

26TH JANUARY FREE ENTRY

HEINEKEN BEER MODELS SWIM SUIT CONTEST JUG AROUND THE CLOCK $3.00 SPIRITS FROM 9PM THE LATEST BEATS WITH DJ HYPER & DJs FROM ALL OVER AUS 6

. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

WEDNESDAYS

FRIDAYS

SUNDAYS

Around the Clock Parma from 5pm

Friday Night Barbie

Sundays Sessions are back!

Around the clock Jug from 5pm

All burgers and snags you can eat for $5.00 from 5pm

Around the Clock Parma from 5pm

PLUS $2.00 pots from 5

Open Mic from 9pm

$3.00 Sprits from 9pm till close

Around the clock Jug from 5pm

WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

FOLK - SCOTLAND // DOUGIE MACLEAN

Home Frees the Writer’s Heart

MacLean, one of Scotland’s premiere singer-songwriters, has finally been awarded a Tartan Clef! oDougie A what? “What it is, is a kind of Scottish version of the MTV Awards,” says Dougie, his Scottish brogue

oddly soothing. “It’s a lot of pop acts but they also have an acoustic award for the kind of songwriter, acousticy, folky kind of award. I think they deemed I’ve been doing this long enough so I should get it! It’s a great thrill, and a great compliment to be recognised, particularly in your own country. We travel around a lot. It’s nice to have something like that at home.”

The recognition has been a long-time coming, but the achievement, Dougie says, is indicative of his longevity.

“The thing is with someone like me, is that I made some great decisions twenty-odd years ago to set up my own record company and do my own publishing and have my own recording studio,” he explains. “What that does is allows you to have longevity as a writer and a performer; it’s not dictated by style or fashion or trends and that, so you have longevity as a writer and performer and I think it recognises that.”

“It’s one thing to be a musician, but to make a whole life out of being a musician isn’t an easy thing. My ideal is to keep going, I have something like twenty CDs out and my wee Caledonia song’s become almost like an unofficial Scottish anthem – I suppose it also comes to that sort of thing that it’s one thing to have hit singles, but it’s also another thing to have a whole life. It isn’t an interesting part of the music business, you know – you don’t get your picture on the front of Q Magazine but you’re still doing big shows, travelling around and playing your music to people… “ And it seems the difference is between having a career or ending up on a “Where Are They Now?” TV feature ten years later, if you’re lucky enough to be remembered. The analogy is not lost on Dougie.

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about. The main thing is that I made good decisions years ago to not go that path, and I think there are two paths you can go as a musician. If you want your picture on the Q Magazine, you sell away your life to the corporate side of the industry, but if you just want to be a writer and share your thoughts around the world with people, you take a totally different path, a much more enjoyable path and you keep your integrity as well. You can write about what you want to write about; it’s a much more fulfilling path, I think… for me it’s been, anyway.”

The freedom to go and do as he pleases is something

“…If you want your picture on the Q Magazine, you sell away your life to the corporate side of the industry...”

that “…as a writer, you need that, and I recognised that very early on, to be able to have that special kind of thing, to be able to write, you can’t be dictated to by anybody, in terms of fashion and trend, or what kind of clothes you wear or how you dance on stage,” he laughs, “it’s more of a substantial kind of career as a musician I think.”

His very recently released CD, The Essential (the substantial?) Dougie MacLean gives a clue to Dougie’s longevity – it’s a haunting, melodic, wistful album that feels like Scotland, and yet is relatable. Dougie is enthused about his home and how it connects to his writing process. “I think one of the things I learned very early on as a writer is that you write about things that you know about, in general. That way you can actually connect… with bigger themes, all those universal themes… if you connect with your own side of it, you get a bit of a window into it and so, inevitably - because I live in a little village, with about ten houses at the beginning of the mountains up in Scotland. I

y e l l A Cat The Alley Cat Bar 381 Elizabeth Street North Hobart 03 6231 2299

Thursday 8th January

actually live in the old village school, where we have the recording studio, it’s the village school that I went to, and my father went to in the 1930s, and I bought it about twenty years ago and turned it into a recording studio…

“I’m living where I grew up,” he continues, “and I know that part of the world really well, and I connect with it intimately. Everything that I write probably comes through eyes from that particular place, and I feel very lucky that I was able to do that, in a time when everything in the world is so transient and everyone sort of moves around a lot more, it keeps you very grounded if you have that kind of background.

Inevitably there’d be a sense of that in my writing.”

Rebecca Moore Saturday 10th January

sCHRIS RATTRAY Take the path less travellend with Dougie...

0 January 12 @ The Republic Bar, Hobart

Fingal & Sara (Rapscallion)

Wednesday 14th January

Loren Kate

+ Ally Mok

Thursday 15th January

Elena Williams + Ally Mok

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SPECIAL 6PM - 9.30PM

$10 Beaut Beer & Bonza Burger Night.

Your choice of beef, chicken or vege Alley Cat Burger with a 10oz. of Cascade Draught or Pale Ale. WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

7

DANCE - AUSTRALIA // WEI-SHEN

House Hedonist Handpicks Headliners been “likened to Bob Sinclair during his infancy... renowned for his interactive and cheeky style, never failing to deliver an infectious oHe’s performance.” But how infectious is Wei-Shen? “I guess it’s gotta be heard to be believed! The stuff I play is basically, pretty much quite funky,

so pretty easy to, I guess, capture the attention of whoever’s on the dance floor. Most of the stuff I play isn’t that aggressive, it’s mostly funky or has that kind of groove that is easy to grasp.”

So you’re not actually getting that close to people where you’re breathing on them and they’re actually catching something from you…

Mate, I try to get as close as possible… I try to get as close to the ladies as possible, but sometimes the DJ booth does prevent me from doing that…

That’s such a huge thing to be likened to Bob Sinclair. You’d have to blush at that, wouldn’t you?

That’s quite a humbling assessment. I think I’m far from it, but he’s probably one of my biggest inspirations musically and DJ-wise, the sound for which he’s renowned for, as opposed to the his most recent releases, is the stuff which I really enjoy… and I like, I guess, the way he carries himself, and his marketing, his branding is, I guess, what I’m kind of striving towards.

Alumbra presents Defected in the House – we’ve got defected, infectious… I’m noticing a bit of a pattern here in that you’re infectious, but also defecting?

I hope there’s a consistency, but with a lot of house

music, it’s not aggressive. The typical crowd is a bunch of beautiful girls just, kind of dancing. They may not know the song, but that groove, that happy vibe is just easy to catch onto. I think that’s something that’s synonymous with house music, in that it brings people together, whether you’re a house-head, or something that just enjoys music or dancing, it’s readily accessible.

At what point would you say that you’d chuck in your day job and be a DJ full-time?

Mate, I’ve been thinking about it for the past four years… Probably once my mortgage is paid off. I think, having, for me, for the time being, until I decide to pack up shop and move overseas to take it to the next level and base myself in Europe, having the day job allows me to enjoy DJing a whole lot more, because, from a financial perspective, I’m not relying on it… you’re not pressured into doing things because of financial reasons. I’m not gonna accept a thousand gigs a week just so I can put bread on the table. I’d rather cherrypick the gigs I play and play my style of music rather

“…I’d rather cherry-pick the gigs I play...”

than compromising my integrity or compromising what I believe in.

So when you introduce yourself to a girl that you’re interested in and they ask what do you do, what do you say first? [pause] I start with the DJ. Then I move on to the

lawyer, and if that doesn’t work, I guess I move on to the next girl. sDAVID WILLIAMS

Let Wei cherry-pick you…

0 January 11 @ The Metz

SPOTLIGHT ON...

Deux Pervertis with Andy Collins

What happens when you can’t get a full band together? You either wait until everyone comes back, or start playing with the remaining band members, as Andy Collins found when it wasn’t possible for The Voyeurs to be together for a time.

“Deux Pervertis started with the plan of Ben and myself playing some acoustic Voyeurs gigs while our violin/oud player, Conor is in Poland,” he explains. “After twisting some of the songs around a bit, adding two songs from Ben’s kick ass old surf rock band, Whalebone, and a cover to the set, we stepped back and realised that it was no longer merely an acoustic Voyeurs. We took the voyeur concept and came up with Deux Pervertis… it’s French for two perverts.”

What’s been the lowest point during the history of the band and why?

Ben being in Queensland so not being able to arrange a photo shoot for this article!

What’s been the highest point for the band and why?

First gig at Irish Murphy’s playing to a very receptive, drunken crowd on December 17 as part of their new Top Shelf originals tonight.

What is the most challenging thing about being in this band?

Convincing Adam and Jonah (bass and drums) that we aren’t abandoning them, haha! With the writing of a new album almost complete, mid 2009 will see the band back in fine form, out playing gigs.

What particular original track are you most proud of and why?

One Moment is pretty kick ass… I’m a little envious that it was written by Ben before I even joined The Voyeurs!

What are some of the things (as in other literature, music, art, culture) that influence the band’s output?

All things voyeuristic – burlesque, call girls, pink bits, drugs, evil thoughts. Basically all the stuff your parents didnt want you to know about as a kid.

What other bands can your sound be compared to?

The Voyeurs (obviously!) The Tea Party, John Butler Trio.

What are your goals for the band?

To have fun playing Voyeurs songs in an acoustic context and having an outlet for material that doesn’t fit in a band setting.

You like to watch perverts....

0 January 8 @ The Royal Oak, Launceston www.myspace.com/thevoyeursmusic 8

. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

ROCK - AUSTRALIA // MICK HARVEY (NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS)

Mick Harvey and the Bad Weeds

“…It will be a pretty special sort of show, with us and The Saints playing...”

one of the many interviews Mick Harvey, of Nick Cave and the oI’m Bad Seeds, has endured today, but I’m glad I wasn’t the guy before

me, who’d kept him waiting fifty minutes. But Mick’s got something to keep him occupied. After touring extensively overseas, he’s recently returned to his home base of Melbourne to find his studio overgrown.

“I’m just walking around the garden weeding at the moment!” he laughs.

“Look at these ones, better get those! – so I’ve been away quite a bit, shit it’s a bit untidy…” It seems no matter where Mick goes, he just can’t escape the bad seeds…

“We did a big tour of Europe, then we did the ‘States, September to October, three and a half weeks or something, and then we went back to the UK, because we’d sort of underplayed the UK, or so it was perceived – we went back there at the end of November, did another six shows there, and now we’re finally getting around to the Australian dates, so, yeah. It’s been busy with touring, yeah.”

Mick laughs. “I suppose the tickets must be very expensive for them to be able to afford that… I don’t know. Whatever! I didn’t know that. I knew there were free busses to take people up from Mansfield up Mt. Buller, but I didn’t know there were free busses from Launceston… That’s good. It will be a pretty special sort of show, with us and The Saints playing, it’s a bit of a special event. A bit unusual.”

You’d think he’d be sick of it, but Mick’s fairly blasé about it. “Ah, no, not necessarily, not of its own virtues, no. I usually enjoy the touring. You get to a point where you want a break from it, and I’m sort of at the point where I’m looking forward to having some of my own time, yeah. That will be good. But actively, you just keep going – I mean, you make the commitment and you keep going with what you’re committed to.”

Which is something we’d expect from a Bad Seeds gig, hopefully, but with The Saints playing, it could almost be a chance for Mick to glimpse his own personal history. “It will be quite odd, because obviously they’re resurrecting their early work, and we’re probably playing a lot more of our recent work, so that’s kind of odd in itself. I mean, The Saints, for me, as a live band – it’ll be very interesting to see them live now – I think I’ll probably find them easier to take than they were in the late 70s because they were very, very loud,” he laughs.

“They were extremely loud! I really liked their albums, but I only ever saw them play once, but I just found it like being battered, which you can be sometimes, in live shows, depending on where you’re standing. I don’t know how much of it will be a glimpse into our past, so much as a… it’s a kind of an odd combination of classics. Ancient and modern. Classics.”

And he’s coming to Tasmania with the Bad Seeds for MONA FOMA. “We are! This is a rare and wonderful event. Well, it might be,” he pauses. “It might be a wonderful event! The last time we played there we didn’t do a very good gig, actually. We played at the University in the late 80s, I think. I dunno, it was a bit of a flat gig, it happens, y’know? From our side. I think we just didn’t get it going.”

But this time around they’re playing the Derwent Entertainment Centre, presumably a step up from the University. Mick’s not so sure. “Probably! I don’t know… entertainment centres usually get the nickname ‘disappointment centres’ or something like that, I’m not really sure! I haven’t seen the [Derwent] Entertainment Centre… the Sydney one is a bit notorious. People always grumble about it. How big is the Hobart one?” he asks.

I tell him something my partner’s heard plenty of times. It’s big enough. But he’s not convinced. Just like my partner. “Oh. I don’t know what that means. Well.

We probably won’t be able to sell it out then. Okay.”

This seems a highly unlikely conjecture however, especially as there will be a free bus service to and from the gig from the north to the south. “It’s interesting, an interesting move. And then they take them back after the show? This is a very responsible approach!”

WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

“I hadn’t really thought how I’d feel about it,” he continues. “It will be quite interesting as we’ve got the two shows in Sydney and one in Brisbane as well, where they’ll be playing before us on all those stages, so it’ll be four times, it’ll be quite interesting to see how it goes. I’ve projected nothing about it. I suppose I’ve learned over the years not to project much onto these things because they’re never like you expect them to be… In theory, it’s a great bill and it should be a pretty exciting evening’s entertainment – pretty fulsome as well, because the shortest thing we play is for an hour and a half, so it’s going to be a large slab of entertainment. Value for money in the credit crunch era, something like that!” sCHRIS RATTRAY

Get ya money’s worth!

0 January 12 @ Derwent Entertainment Centre

Friday January 9 DJ Skip Saturday January 10 TBA Friday January 16 DJ Skip

Thursday January 15

Saturday January 17 Off The Cuff

Karaoke 8pm til late

Biggest & Best Pub Meals Dining & Function Room Real Beer Garden Alfresco Dining THE COMMERCIAL HOTEL DINING HOURS 7 DAYS A WEEK

Lunch 12 noon - 2.30pm | Dinner 5.30pm - 8.30pm (9pm Fri & Sat) 27 George St Launceston, 03 6331 3868 . ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

9

DJ PROFILE – DJ TRISTAN Style: Quirky, techy, deep, percussive and rolling.

“I listened to electronic music when I was younger but it wasn’t until the late 90s when I heard the sounds of progressive house that I became seriously addicted to dance music,” says Tristan on his superheroic origins. “I then got attracted to the bass heavy sound of breaks and drum’n’bass and enjoyed the healthy Hobart scene at the time before rediscovering house after my two year stint at Soak playing a blend of jackin, deep and tech house. I have always enjoyed techy sounds and the last couple of years have involved an intensive dive into exploring the world of techno, tech house and particularly minimal. Discovering these sounds was like coming home after years of enjoying a variety of dance music but not quite finding the sound that I was after. I now feel like a kid in a lolly shop with the amount amazing deep music that has been hitting dance floors around the world recently.”

What was the pivotal moment that made you realise being a DJ was for you?

I’d always had a healthy passion for music and loved showing people music, I was intrigued by the experience listening to music can give someone. I believe there are two broad types of DJs, one who wants to rock the party and one who wants to show

people music. The latter is why I got into DJing. The pivotal point was many years ago when I invested in an average and quite random set up with the intent of learning the principles of mixing before getting the real deal. It was at that point, like many other DJs, that I thought I might be able to add something different to the mix, so to speak. For me the reason the people are in the club or venue (to party and dance) is a tool to be able to expose them to interesting sounds and maybe put them in a different and unfamiliar space to escape the daily grind and, most importantly, dance.

Who have been your influences in this regard?

I’d say my first inspiration was Chris B who I used to listen to regularly when he played in Launceston and of course Mr Rob FX who gave me plenty entertaining times on the dance floor in the heyday of breaks.

What have been some of the key albums, tracks, or artists that have steered you down this path?

The first two mix CDs that blew me away were Sasha & Digweed - Communicate and an early Nicky Blackmarket mix CD. Musically it would have to be an older NIN track called Warm Place and Aphex Twin.

Recently, Lee Burridges, Balance three disc mix CD. Why did they have such an impact on you, do you think?

Communicate was an amazing mix that opened me up to the emotive and deep sounds of dance music. Nicky Blackmarket’s style of mixing d’n’b with awesome cuts and energy was highly inspiring, technique wise.

Warm Place was the song that showed me how the freedom and creativity of electronic music could be used to create amazing spaces and Aphex Twin for his totally unique blend of schizophrenic, often twisted, production with beautiful intricate melodies. Lee Burridge’s mix offers an amazing selection of tech house, minimal and techno, seriously interesting and intriguing sounds.

How about festivals or performances you’ve been to – which ones made the greatest impression on you and why?

There have been many performances that have blown me away over the years but two recent ones that come to mind are Phil K recently at Syrup and Luciano in Melbourne. Phil K played the best set I’ve heard in a long time with an amazing track selection resulting in a mind-blowing set. To see a world class DJ and producer like Luciano was incredible and with over a thousand people going nuts to his unique sound, the energy was amazing.

What’s the weirdest thing or request anyone’s ever asked of you in your capacity as a DJ? It’s always surprising the music people request especially when they have already been listening to what you’ve been playing. Recently at Syrup someone requested I play some “hardcore” at about 11:30pm to which I politely explained that it was probably a little early for that style of music.

What do you look forward to seeing more and

less of in 2009?

More deep interesting music on dance floors and a few extra chinstrokers wouldn’t go astray and, most importantly, more groove. Less generic dance music getting played, especially as there are so many amazing producers around.

Get in deep with Tristan!

0 January 17 @ Syrup, Hobart

THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY Talking about their new EP with Timothy Green of New Saxons

Wednesday 7 January Emma Fair Band Andrew Winton (WA)

Wednesday 14 January Mayfield Sara Neep

Wednesday 21 January “The band was born, so to speak, about a year ago when I penned a number of songs with Alex in his quaint Lewisham shack after receiving an Arts Tasmania Grant to record an EP,” says Tim on the band’s origins. “Richard, returning from a holiday, stepped in to rehearse and the band was complete. Since then we have recorded the EP with Sydney-based producer Ant Whitehouse, who has worked with Josh Pyke and Expatriate.

The band started performing a couple of months ago and supported Sparkadia when they played in Hobart. In many ways we reverse engineered the band by recording the EP and building up a body of material well before playing live.”

What was the most challenging thing about creating your new EP? The main concept for the EP was to make it accessible for all sorts of people. The three of us all have very different musical influences, so the key was to combine all the things we love about music and create a sound that hopefully won’t alienate any listener.

What particular track are you most proud of and why?

Personally, Dance Hall is my favourite track. I’m proud of it because it is ambitious, in the sense that it is a ballad that rocks just enough and is lyrically interesting so not to be dismissed as just another love song.

What was the lowest point during the making of the EP for you, and why?

The recording process itself was quite interrupted by outside influences namely the loss of Alex’s mother to breast cancer. In many ways the EP only happened because of Alex’s resolve and personality.

What was the highest point during the making of the EP for you, and why?

Working with the producer from Sydney in his studio, learning to let other people add to your songs and holding the finished EP in my hand.

Describe to me the journey you hope people will go on as they listen to the EP? Honesty was a big buzz word for us during the recording. We knew if we could get our ideas down on tape, without getting too convoluted, so that people would engage with our songs. So hopefully the journey is hearing a line or a theme that make the listener think “Hey that’s me they’re singing about.”

Grab the new New Saxons!

0 January 16 @ The Greenhouse (Irish Murphy’s Hobart) 10

. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

THE BEST OF TASMANIA’S

ORIGINAL MUSIC EVERY WEDNESDAY

Van Diemen The Stoics (acoustic)

There’s Always Something ...

THURSDAY JANUARY 8 Glenn & Jade FRIDAY JANUARY 9 The Gary Gary’s SATURDAY JANUARY 10 Victor Charlie Charlie SUNDAY JANUARY 11 Andy & Julz, Glenn Moorehouse Victor Charlie Charlie MONDAY JANUARY 12 Carl Fidler TUESDAY JANURY 13 Ciaran van den Berg

THURSDAY JANUARY 15 Nat & Adam FRIDAY JANUARY 16 U2 TRIBUTE “Achtung Baby” SATURDAY JANUARY 17 Long Way Home SUNDAY JANUARY 18 Nathan Wheldon, Brief Illusion, Luke Parry, Paddy Duke MONDAY JANUARY 19 Nathan Wheldon TUESDAY JANUARY 20 Mick Attard

... Happening At Irish Murphy’s L I V E M U S I C 7 DAY S 3 BARS / FUNCTIONS AVAILABLE / RESTAURANT WOOD FIRED PIZZAS / LOG FIRES / ROOFTOP BAR OUTSIDE

211 BRISBANE ST LAUNCESTON 6331 4440 WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE WEDNESDAY 07

Cygnet Folk Festival Rosie Burgess

sHobart Hotel SOHO Beats with DJ Macca 8pm

Recording Mixing Mastering Production Bookings Essential Call Dave Venter for a quote 0408 373 066 or email fatlipstudios@gmail.com

Launceston Studio www.myspace.com/fatlipstudios

sHobart The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Ballpoint, Your Demise The Metz Mid Week Metz Woodhouse 8pm The Republic Bar Pete Cornellius & The Deviles + Linc & The Insiders $5 9pm sLaunceston The Royal Oak Frankie Top Shelf @ Irish Murphy’s Emma Fair Band, Andrew Winton (WA) THURSDAY 08 sHobart Syrup Mesh - Hobart’s longest running club night DJs: Adam Turner, Mylestone, Soundwave, Kyle 10pm The Alley Cat Bar Rebecca Moore The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Amy Kendall, Darlington, Syrevilo

103 Elizabeth St Hobart 03 6231 5578

The Republic Bar Andrew Winton + Women In Docs $5 9pm sLaunceston

"Tasmania's own"

REDLINE Coach Services

DISCOUNTED STUDENT FARES University Student Semester Special $12.50 per sector

Irish Murphy’s Glen & Jade The Royal Oak Deux Pervertis 9pm Hotel New York Roger Charles 10.00-12.30 Doctor J 1.00-Close FRIDAY 09 sHobart

* Hobart to Launceston $55.60 (Return) * Devonport to Launceston $39.10 (Return) *Conditions Apply

Reservations/Credit Card Payments 1300 360 000

The Republic Bar MONA FOMA D.J. Trip (Adelaide) + DuOud (France) 9:30pm Syrup Breakeven - DJs: Adam Turner + Guests $10 (Uni students free) 11pm The Brisbane Hotel Coven Presents: Spreckenstein CD LAUNCH w DJ Ebolabell Various MONA FOMA

Brookfield Vineyard. 1640 Channel Highway.

Margate. 7054. Ph 6267 2880

Licensed cafe open 7 days & late for all events Monday 12th: Tuesday 13th:

Yggdrasil

Thrillbilly Stomp

Wednesday 14th: Thursday 15th:

Mr Sister

Milk / Rosie Burgess

Friday 16th:

Folk Night

Wednesday 21st:

Louren

All have meals available. www.brookfieldvineyard.com - info@brookfieldvineyard.com WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

SATURDAY 10

sLaunceston The Mersh (The Commercial Hotel) DJ Skip Irish Murphy’s The Gary Gary’s

Hotel SOHO One for the Road 9:30pm Syrup Dirty F’king Dancing DJs: Gillie, Adam Turner + Corney $15 on the door ($10 for Uni students) 11pm The Alley Cat Bar Fingal & Sara (Rapskallion) The Republic Bar MONA FOMA Propaganda Klann (Melb) + F@*k Buttons (UK) 10pm

Tom & Nick Wolfe 10pm The Republic Bar Dougie MacLean (Scotland) + Jill & Matt Barber (Canada) $30 9pm

Various MONA FOMA

Irish Murphy’s Carl Fidler

Irish Murphy’s Victor Charlie Charlie The Royal Oak Ben Castles Hotel New York Doctor J 10.00-12.00 Cam 12.00-2.00 Buff Star Delux 2.00-Close

sLaunceston sHobart Brookfield Vineyard Thrillbilly Stump The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Gretel Templeton, David McEldowney, Terry Nomikos

Hotel New York Roger Charles 10.00-12:00 Doctor J 12.00-2.00 Buff Star Delux 2.00-Close sCygnet

The Royal Oak Sara & Hamish 9pm The Mersh (The Commercial Hotel) DJ Skip Hotel New York Roger Charles 10.00-12.00 Doctor J 12.00-2.00 PD 2.00-Close

Irish Murphy’s Ciaren van den Berg SATURDAY 17 WEDNESDAY 14

sHobart

sHobart

Hobart Regatta Grounds The Soundscape Festival

Brookfield Vineyard Mister Sister The Alley Cat Bar Loren Kate & Ally Mok The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s The High-Lows, Ray Martians The Metz Mid Week Metz Woodhouse 8pm The Republic Bar Rosie Burgess + Milk $10 9pm sLaunceston

The Republic Bar Sugartrain $4 10pm The Brisbane Hotel Lakoda w/ Friends Syrup Dirty F’king Dancing DJs: Gillie, Adam Turner + Tristan $15 on the door ($10 for Uni students) 11pm sLaunceston The Mersh (The Commercial Hotel) Off the Cuff

SUNDAY 11 sHobart Hotel SOHO Open Mic with Christian & John 9pm The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s MIQ with Stephe The Metz Special Ministry DJ WeiShen from 4pm $10 after 6pm The Republic Bar MONA FOMA Hawksley Workman (Canada) + Filastine (Spain) No Cover 9pm The Republic Bar Jill & Matt Barber (Canada) 3pm Various MONA FOMA sLaunceston Irish Murphy’s Andy & Julz, Glen Moorhouse, Victor Charlie Charle MONDAY 12

The Royal Oak Tobasco Tom & Doc White 9pm Top Shelf @ Irish Murphy’s Mayfield & Sarah Neep (Annual Rock Summer School jam night)

Brookfield Vineyard Yggdrasil Derwent Entertainment Centre Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds w/ The Saints Hotel SOHO Industrie Night with

The Royal Oak Andy Collins 9pm Hotel New York Doctor J 10.00-12.00 PD 12.00-2.00 Roger Charles 2.00-Close SUNDAY 18

THURSDAY 15

sHobart

sHobart

The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Jam Jar

Brookfield Vineyard Milk the Band w/ Rosie Burgess The Alley Cat Bar Elena Williams & Ally Mok The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Sam Cole, Middle Sea, Van Diemen The Republic Bar Kitto 9pm

The Metz Metz on Sundays, Beats from 4pm The Republic Bar Merchants In Groove 9pm MONDAY 19 sHobart

sLaunceston

The Republic Bar G.B. Balding 8:30pm

Irish Murphy’s Nat & Adam

TUESDAY 20

The Mersh (The Commercial Hotel) Karaoke

sHobart

The Royal Oak Samuel Bester 9pm

The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Abbey Doggett, Jess Patmore, Ryan Kinder

FRIDAY 16

The Republic Bar Loren & Angie Boxall

sHobart The Royal Oak S&M 9pm

The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Joni’s Plastic Sunday, New Saxons EP Launch, The Trolls

TUESDAY 13

sLaunceston The Mersh (The Commercial Hotel) TBA

The Brisbane Hotel Hell Raising Riff Hogs + The Ritz + DJ’s (Metal)

sLaunceston

sLaunceston The Brisbane Hotel All Ages 3pm - 7pm: On Your Feet Soldier, Sunday Something Ruined, Sound A Surrender, High Five For Hitman, Resilent Lee

The Republic Bar Whitley + Washington + Lisa Mitchell $20pre /$24door 10pm

sHobart

The Biggest Variety Of Comedy In Tassie!

Stand up, Sketch, Physical, Musical Comedy, Burlesque, Sitcom.

Next Show:

Monday February 2nd @ The Backspace Theatre Sackville St Hobart FACEBOOK GROUP: SHORT BACK AND SIDESHOW

Venue Guide HOBART Brookfield Vineyard 1640 Channel Highway Margate 6267 2880 Hotel SOHO 124 Davey Street 6224 9494 www.hotelsoho.com.au Irish Murphy’s 21 Salamanca Place 6223 1119 www.irishmurphys. com.au Metz on the Bay 217 Sandy Bay Road 6224 4444 Syrup 1st Floor 39 Salamanca Place 6224 8249 www.syrupclub.com The Republic Bar 299 Elizabeth Street 6234 6954 www.republicbar.com

LAUNCESTON The Commercial Hotel 27 George Street 6331 3868 Irish Murphy’s 211 Brisbane Street 6331 4440 www.irishmurphys. com.au Hotel New York 122 York Street 6334 7231 Lonnies 107 Brisbane Street 6334 7889 www.lonniesniteclub. com The Royal Oak 14 Brisbane Street 6331 5346 www.myspace.com/ leapinlimpout

The Brisbane Hotel 3 Brisbane Street 6234 4920 www.myspace.com/ thebrisbanehotel The Alley Cat Bar 381 Elizabeth Street 6231 2299 www.myspace.com/ thealleycatbar Wrest Point Entertainment Centre 410 Sandy Bay Road 6225 0112 www.wrestpoint.com.au

Brookfield Vineyard Folk Night

. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

11

LOREN KATE When Loren Kate finished high school she set out in search of adventure.

Armed with only a guitar and backpack, she jumped on the train and headed north to Byron Bay. With a few dollars in her pocket she began busking for her dinner and shelter and learning about life and music from the local street folk...

Six years later, Loren Kate has developed her own unique sound and has become a well-established independent artist and quite the songsmith.

Life has been all about learning, becoming conscience of the ways of the world and releasing her deepest fears, emotions and beliefs in song...

Loren has traveled extensively around Australia, exploring the deserts to the seas and all the little corners in between. performing at many venues and festivals around the country including; Peats Ridge Folk Festival, Fairbridge Music Festival, Fleurieu Folk Festival, Earthdance WA, Alice Desert Festival, Oenpelli Open Day, Go Organic Festival and recently won the emerging artist award at the Nannup Music

THE BIGGEST IMPACT What’s influenced Emma of The Emma Fair Band

Festival earlier this year.

Loren has also shared the stage with some of Australia’s finest musicians including Tim Freedman (The Whitlams), Vika and Linda Bull (The Black Sorrows), folk legend Eric Bogle, iOTA, Epicure, Loren and The Grow Your Owns, Saritah, Rob Sawyer, Wild Marmalade, the list goes on...

Loren Kate’s live performance is explosive, dynamic and pure. Her beautifully crafted melodies are performed with such honesty and passion that will leave any listener stimulated and inspired.

Down to earth humor and storytelling, an honest voice and emotive lyrics create a unique, haunting sound that is capturing audiences all over the countryside.

Loren Kate’s latest release, Under the Boab EP, is receiving airplay on Triple J and community radio Australia wide.

Her debut album is currently being recorded and is due for release in early 2009.

Catch Loren (with Ally Mok)...

0 14 January 2009 @ The Alley Cat Bar lorenkate.com.au

BUY YOUR F*#KING TICKET.

Band members: Dani Misdom (electric guitar), Ben Fair (keys/sax), Jon Parsons (bass) and Andrew Swift (drums).

Currently listening to: Damien Rice, Corinne Bailey Rae, Patrick Watson, Death Cab for Cutie, Katie Noonan

“I grew up in Launceston with three brothers and lots of music,” says Emma, the music obviously pulsing through her. “My parents had us all learning instruments from a really young age and I loved to sing along with Disney and church songs.

I decided I wanted to sing at about five years old, while pretending to be the Little Mermaid on my top bunk. In high school and college I got into music and drama and started writing songs. These days I’m living in Brisbane, studying theatre and music, and doing gigs with the band on my frequent visits home.”

MONA FOMA CURATED BY BRIAN RITCHIE PRESENTS

What album has had the biggest impact on you, both personally and as a musician, and why?

Hearing Jeff Buckley’s Grace for the first time made me sit up and listen. I love hearing someone reveal so much when they sing. I want to do that.

Which gig has had the biggest impact on you, as a punter and that you’ve played, and why?

I saw Kate Miller-Heidke play in Sydney last year, I like her sense of humour and how she plays around with the music. I get inspired watching other people be creative and experimenting.

Playing with the band is so much fun. I’m not sure which gig has had the biggest impact on me but I love playing new songs. The final of the National Campus Band Competition ‘07 was probably our biggest gig so far.

What impact do you hope your music will have on people?

Blow their minds! Oh, I don’t know... how do you answer that? Nah... the occasional rhythmic head nod, a bit of the old Tassie two-step...? I’d like people to be able to relate to my songs and feel something when they listen.

TICKETS $89 WWW.TICKETMASTER.COM.AU or 136 1OO DERWENT ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE WWW.MOFO.NET.AU MONA FOMA IS A NOT FOR PROFIT EVENT

Get your mind blown!

0 January 7 @ Top Shelf (Irish Murphy’s Launceston) 12

. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

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FALLS FESTIVAL PICTORIAL REVIEW

PHOTOS BY SIMON HANCOCK

FRANZ FERDINAND

FRANZ FERDINAND

THE GRATES

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI

FRANZ FERDINAND

GOMEZ

GIG REVIEWS THE MOUNTAIN GOATS @ The Republic Bar, December 12

I had ridiculously high expectations of this gig, and for the most part they were happily fulfilled. John Darnielle is a songwriting genius, and a natural performer, so any time he picks up a guitar in front of a bunch of people it’s going to be good. But when half the bunch of people don’t particularly care about hearing him play (which is bizarre, given that they presumably paid thirty bucks for the pleasure of talking over the top of him), there’s always going to be a little bit of tension.

In a set of mostly-slower material (a fair bit drawn from Get Lonely) he was still brilliant, Love Love Love being the highlight. The addition of a drummer to his backing band works splendidly, especially given the skills of the guy in question. However, it would have been good to see him get his teeth into some of the stuff from Heretic Pride or even some jauntier Sunset Tree numbers.

About mid-set Darnielle did mention the number of people talking, and was kinda just ignored. It seems to be a repeat thing for quieter gigs at The Republic, where large dinner-crowds tarnish the experience for those who really want to be there. All this aside, Darnielle and his fellow Goats were excellent, but when you know they have the potential to be unforgettable, it was hard not to feel a twinge of disappointment.

MICHAEL BLAKE WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

MINISTRY OF SOUND THE ANNUAL TOUR FEAT. GOODWILL @ Syrup, December 19

STAND DEFIANT, BALLPOINT, MINDSET AND THE RESIGNATORS @ The Brisbane Hotel, December 20

It was the last Friday of the working year for many, and Hobart was out in force to celebrate the holidays in general. Luckily for us there was an added bonus – a one night only visit from DJ Goodwill to promote the new Annual release.

This show was the final stop in Stand Defiant and Mindset’s tour of Tasmania. Stand Defiant, I’m sure, need no introduction to you Sauce regulars, having featured frontpage in Issue #83, and having been a pillar of the local punk scene for years.

The waterfront area was awash with atmosphere. After a day of legal public partying and stalls-a-plenty to sample, this was an excellent way to prevent an anticlimax to the evening. For any possible unfamiliars, MoS originated in Britain in 1991 as the prime breeding ground for all styles of house and club music and launched in Australia in 1999. It has only gained momentum since and supports many local and international artists.

Mindset, too, originally hail from Tasmania, but have since moved to Melbourne. The five piece sports a brand of fast, melodic hardcore that quickly gained my attention as a welcome difference to the genre’s regular repetitive riffage. The Resignators (Melbourne) opened the show with a six-piece display of trumpeteering ska, which, admittedly, was a little out of place with the rest of the lineup, and although the crowd reaction was minimal, they performed well.

Also, filling in for The Turnaround, who played most of the tour, were local punk staples Ballpoint, who finalised the solid lineup.

Very worthy support to warm-up was provided by local DJ’s Kir, Gillie and Adam Turner. I’ve seen mixed reviews about the new Annual. From the experience I was expecting a more commercial sound to previous years, as that seems to be the general feel of the album.

But don’t be fooled, Goodwill is not one to just provide the expected.

He took to the first set with a remix of the everpopular MGMT, which immediately got everyone happy-dancing, and from there he launched a show much more to his own style. He cut and stitched tracks from the obscure, the circuit, the old school and his own back pocket, and graced our ears with a pretty personalised show. He seamlessly cuts from one beat to the other with dizzying hooks and just when you think you’re too tired to go on, the track changes and you have to stay for the next foot-stomping, waistcrunching beats.

This guy has a real creative talent and is well worth your time.

TABITHA FLETCHER

After The Resignators’ opening performance, Mindset took the stage to an eager crowd, although somewhat lacking in numbers. I, personally, very much enjoyed Mindset’s sound: hard punk guitar riffs over fast drumming and hardcore vocals, with the occasional mic-grabbing mob vocal that I was more than happy to help out with.

Next up was Ballpoint, who are well-known for their tight performance of energetic punk rock, and this show was no exception. The band’s inter-song performance of joke-stabbing between themselves and members Stand Defiant also kept the crowd amused before ending on the well-known anthem, Hobart Rock City.

Stand Defiant finished off the night with their fast guitar-driven brand of punk, and played it to their usual perfection as icons of Tasmania’s independent music.

JAMES YOUNG

SAM COLE + THE EDDY-O SHOW + THE FRETS + ALL FIRES THE FIRE @ The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Hobart, December 11

The earnest poetry of Sam Cole reverberated through the lively crowd that is Irish Murphy’s on “Greenhouse” night. The weekly affair of new and independent local acts usually brings out some of the best young musical talent Hobart has to offer and this week was no exception. Trans-Tasman, Sam Cole began the evening’s musical endeavours with a mature folk set and carefully crafted sound that could only come from years of songwriting and indeed, life experience. Sam played honest and fast paced acoustic music with a sense of urgency, winding up his set in a flurry of strums and haunting, emotional lyrics.

Next up was Eddy-O, lead singer from rockabilly threepiece, The No-No’s. Eddy-O was apparently branching out on his own. The solo set saw Eddy playing his trademark blistering Tennessee guitar along with the “Gnnn CHT” of his foot operated kick-drum and hi-hat. It was fun, entertaining and kinda seedy...

Then there were The Frets. As usual, they delivered a tight set that had people up off the pub’s hardwood chairs to dance.

Finally, All Fires the Fire unpacked for a set I am finding it difficult to describe. They played what I guess you could describe as “indie rock” - whatever that means, or maybe even new-wave. Consisting of keyboards, bass, drums and guitar with vocals, they were truly a unique experience, with thick, drudging riffs and spacey effects. They probably won’t be to everyone’s liking, but if you are after something new then check them out.

LOCHIE JAMES . ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

13

SPONSORED BY

TA S S I E ’ S

H O T T E S T

C A R S

Vehicle Graphics

Samuel Lynch’S 1993 HONDA PRELUDE ENGINE

Chrome CAI 3A Pod

DRIVER PROFILE AGE: 23 CAR CLUB: Low4Sho When and where did you buy your car?

I bought my car about 3 years ago, and it was a local sale, com-

WHEELS/BRAKES/SUSPENSION Air cylinders Sprayed Body Color.

Playstation controller.

1/ 4hp compressor.

Five-gallon air tank.

Viper valves.

Check valves.

19”Gestalt Virouges

pletely stock

What would you like to have after this?

Probably a S2000 or NSX

What’s your dream car and why?

Honda NSX

Why do you love the car?

Because it’s all my ideas and hard work put into build this car

BODYSTYLING

Custom Lime Neon Green Full Respray X-Force cannon.

“GUIL7Y” number plates.

Vertex kit.

Custom Altezzas.

Custom projector headlights.

Custom corner lights.

Custom rear bar number plate recess Custom City Lights Shaved Front Badge Shaved Front Indicators Shaved side repeaters Shaved Door Handles Shaved Boot Spoiler, Debadged, Lock, Number Plate Recess Shaved Aerial Chrome M3-style mirrors.

Chrome washer jets.

Chrome Isotta double wiper blades.

18% tint.

PLEASE LIST ANY OTHER MODS YOU’VE MADE INTERIOR Razo gear knob.

Black leather re-trim.

Isotta steering wheel.

Isotta pedals.

Isotta dead rest.

Custom Kawasaki green retrim 2x 150psi gauges.

AUDIO 6” Pioneer two-way speakers.

6” Pioneer three-way speakers.

JVC EXAD DVD player.

2x Sunvisor Monitors 19” LG Flatron monitor.

400w inverter.

RCA to VGA converter.

2x 10” Audiobahn DVC subs.

4-channel Soundstream amp.

Rockford Fosgate mono block.

Custom enclosure

14

. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

COMEDY games, gadgets, and other digital distractions: zzappped@sauce.net.au MUSIC // XBOX 360

INSPECT A GADGET With Mike Wilcox

GROOVECENTRE ($40)

Relive Groundhog Day and wake up to your favourite tune every morning with this iPod speaker system and digital alarm clock. The chic dock delivers rich sound through its builtin speakers while politely recharging the iPod. It’s also portable enough to throw in the kit for weekend camping expeditions. www.joby.com FUNFAB P80 - DIGITAL PHOTO FRAME & PRINTER ($415) The first karaoke game on the 360 is jumping on the pumping bandwagon of music themed games. Singalong games, notoriously avoided by the modest and those with an aversion to public embarrassment can now be brought into your loungeroom with the likes of the SingStar series and Disney which has taken off on the PS2 and now PS3. No longer do you need to read words off a screen, mumbling your way through gaining drink vouchers at a public bar. Suddenly, singalong is cool using the supplied wireless microphones with sparkling LED lights and striking poses to up your massive game scores.

The game comes with 40 well-known and modern songs and a downloadable bonus song, Take on Me

by Ah-Ha. New songs are downloadable from Xbox Marketplace for a small fee to add to your library.

However, the best feature that increases the longevity of the game is the capability to extend the library with your own DRM free music via the console’s USB port from your portable music playing device. These songs can be flagged and included in the playlist so you can belt out some more familiar tunes. By using your own songs you do not have the words or notes displayed on screen, however you still get to rack up squillions of points through the sound recognition on the mics to the tune of the music. Super duper sing along fun for all! I haven’t seen this capability since the music mixer game on the original Xbox when I first began imitating the sound of mating cats; er I mean singing. I feel this is THE best feature for a music game as not all party fiends like to sing along to Walking on Sunshine when you have Tribute on the ol’ iPod to holler along to.

One of my favourite aspects of Lips is the microphone sensitivity. Whilst you sing, your objective is to score big and to meet that you need to pose your microphone.

0 COMING UP… DOMESTIC COWBOY

The game will cue you to flip, spin, jump or monkey arm your way to bonus point glory as you test your hand-mouth coordination with your mic. You get a feel for the reality TV shows where it’s not just sheer, raw singing talent that gets you to the top. It’s always good to have a decent original clip to make you feel like you’re on MTV. For the songs that don’t have original clips they’ve made some interesting visuals; panning in and out of album covers and wooshy type graphics across the screen. Alternatively, you could select the groovy 3D dancing people, and by groovy I mean it in the utmost sarcastic kind of way, because it lacks aesthetic appeal and is not as cool as dancing silhouettes with MP3 players.

Two player or party play is so extraordinarily easy compared to the competition as a second player can join in or drop out at any time by shaking to activate the dormant microphone meaning the fun is more seamless and the multiplayer modes opens up a newer variety of competition – you can use the controllers as percussion instruments if you are not keen in crash tackling a karaoke diva for the mics thus enhancing involvement. Battle mode is a hoot as you get to vie for the limelight in a cartoony style rock out stage comp and Kiss mode is where you need to synchronise with your teammate in performing in song actions to activate bonus points. One of my favourites, and that of my karaoke buddy, was the Time Bomb mode.

Each player needs to sing to fill up their glass as an ever shortening fuse needs to be doused before the end of the song and before the bomb explodes. Very frenzied fun for each player as you try to fill your glass and quash the fuse whilst singing AND queuing your bonus moves. Overall Lips is fun for all ages and I look forward to singing future songs. sTIARNE DOUBLE

TIARNE’s FINAL SCORES GAMEPLAY: 90% 0 Wailing to classic and pop tunes couldn’t get much better than auditioning for a reality TV show in your home.

GRAPHICS: 90%

0 Funky vids and easy to understand menu system means a big thumbs up.

SOUND: 80%

0 Decent playback and ability to turn down the vocals of yourself or the song.

This chunky, yet smart looking 8” inch display accepts memory cards, PictBridge cameras and PCs over USB. But the true magic is being able to select a photo at anytime and hit print, and 30 seconds later a quality 4x6” photo spits out the back. www.altech.com.au PERSONAL UV MONITOR ($160)

PLAYABILITY: 90%

0 This one should have everyone up shaking their groove thang with a flick of the wrist.

OVERALL: 88%

0 Convenient and entertaining take on endless karaoke singalong with your own jukebox.

0 LIPS IS AVAILABLE NOW FOR XBOX 360 (RRP $99).

Look out for reviews of Resistance 2, and Tomb Raider: Underworld coming up in future editions of SAUCE!

claymcintosh@gmail.com

Rather than finding out the painful way when you’ve had too much sun, keep one of these nearby to constantly monitor the UV Index. It can even be set tell you when you’ve reached a preset UV dosage. www.solarmeter.com.au

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. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

15

CINECISM

BY DAVID QUINN: david@dreamwalkmedia.com

OPINION // YEAR IN REVIEW

Cinecism’s Top & Bottom 5 for 2008

TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE (MA 15+) Directed by Alex Gibney

at that time of the year when we look back at the year-that-was and arbitrarily assign values to the oWe’re films that we have watched and publish it for all the world to see. Then we all look at them, disagreeing

with some and nod approvingly of others. And not to break with tradition we’ll do just that for the top and not so top films of 2008. There are some that are of no surprise to anyone, but sadly there are some films this year that have left us feeling shocked, empty and disappointed…

3. Meet the Spartans: Proving that appalling spoof movies don’t always have to have the word “Movie” in the title. (see Superhero Movie, Disaster Movie and Epic Movie) Referencing pop-culture does not equal comedy.

TOP 5 5.

Kung-Fu Panda: Jack Black leads a wellrounded voice cast through a surprisingly complex animated tale of a seemingly inept kung-fu fanboy who is destined for far greater things. While not an earth-shattering plot, it is animated well and the characters are extremely likable. Solidly enjoyable family fun.

4. Son of Rambow: not a sequel or spin-off to the bloodthirsty Sylvester Stallone film series, but a charmingly clever British comedy about two young boys who bond with each other over the making of a home-made film, despite living very different lives.

It’s so sweet and simple that it sneaks up on you with its dry wit and leaves you feeling very warm and fuzzy.

3. The Fall: Unknown to most, Tarsem Singh’s (The Cell) visually sumptuous fairytale starts out as a childlike fable with a bizarre sense of humour and ends up an powerful and engaging story of healing and friendship. All set against the most amazing vistas the world can produce.

2. Iron Man: John Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. proved to be an unexpected match made in heaven and gave us a film that comic book fan-boys went crazy for, but the regular Joe fell for just as comprehensively.

You will believe a man can drink and fly.

This confronting documentary won the 2007 Academy Award for Documentary Feature and is regarded as one of the most important and controversial films of the year. This does little to really explain how important a film it is though. Perhaps the amount of controversy that has risen from simply trying to get the film distributed and shown may be a stronger indicator, but what is certain is that it is a film that will not fail to shock and appal its audience.

2. Beverly Hills Chihuahua: It’s got a musical number where the chorus is the word “Chihuahua” and the “plot” is based around a runaway handbag bound fashion accessory dog. Kill it. now.

Dilawar is an Afghan Taxi driver who is captured

by American forces and tortured and killed while being held in extrajudicial detention at the Bagram Air Base. His death however, is the tip of an iceberg that eventually reveals a concentrated systematic culture of torture and abuse that is perpetuated by decision makers throughout the American military.

The film does not so much point fingers, as show a road map of wrong-doing and allow the viewer to take the journey to its natural conclusion.

Where Taxi to the Dark Side is at its strongest is in its interviews with those people who have experienced torture, both as the victims and as the perpetrators. It is an unflinching look into the dirty little secrets that we try to ignore for the sake of our freedom; at times horrific and at other times bordering onto hysterical. (No press tour of Guantanamo Bay is complete without a stop by the gift shop!)

1. The Dark Knight: No surprises here, Christopher Nolan’s follow up to Batman Begins defied the limitations associated with the superhero genre and provided a story that Martin Scorsese would have been proud of. Heath ledger’s Joker also defied limitations and demonstrated what a great loss he was.

BOTTOM 5 5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: The fourth Indy commits the cardinal sin of the sequel film, bringing a character out of retirement for an adventure that is completely unnecessary. It alienated its original loyal fan base and compounded it by failing to bring in any new ones.

4. The Love Guru: Mike Myers desperately attempts to start a new franchise using the tried and true methods of bad prosthetics, hot co-stars and ridiculous accents. Good thing we’ve all grown wise to those tricks… haven’t we?

A powerful doco totally deserving of its Oscar.

Cine-COOL sDAVID QUINN CINECISM RATINGS EXPLAINED

1. Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior: The directto-video prequel of a spin-off movie to a moderately successful sequel featuring none of the original cast.

Its sins are innumerable but culminate in a final battle sequence between the hero and an invisible giant scorpion. INVISIBLE…As in, not there. Simply awful.

0 Argue, flame, or agree with Quinny at david@dreamwalkmedia.com!

We’ve introduced a simplified, yet more puntastic, ratings system for this section! Can’t distinguish your meh from your muck? Here it is for the slow.

Cine-COOL: Go see it now!

Cine-MEH: Check it out, sometime, maybe.

Cine-MUCK: Do not see it, ever.

Mastery of the rating system will ensure your continued cinematic enjoyment for years to come.

For local information about: HIV/AIDS, Gay Men’s Health, Safe Injecting & Needle & Syringe Programs 1800 005 900 / 03 6234 1242 Hepatitis C 1300 HEP ABC (1300 437 222) 16

. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

www.tascahrd.org.au 319 Liverpool Street, Hobart - Open 9am - 5pm Mon- Fri (Tues 12:30pm - 5pm) WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

ROFLMAO STRUTH BE TOLD The Bedroom Philosopher reflects on some high and low points in music...

STRANGER THAN MICKTION Mick Lowenstein actually made it back from Falls at Marion Bay to write this article...

o HIGH Gary Numan – Cars (1979) 0:07 Seconds of tension building laser noise is broken with a trifecta of snare hits as synth meets kit to create the original electro blueprint.

Guns & Roses – November Rain (1992) 7:09 After being seriously musically ‘backed up’ we are given some sweet relief as Slash does exactly that, hanging one of the most deceptively emotive solos of all time.

Powderfinger – Belter (2001) 0:22 The thunderous E-chord entry is best experienced in the opening of Oz film Two Hands.

Lenny Kravitz – Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993) 2:10 Flange sandwich anyone? Stadium-sized breakdown for this overblown blasterpiece.

Beck – Where It’s At (1996) 1:22 Spazzed out roboBeck sings ‘two turntables and a microphone’ through vocoder over ultra-hip break beat. Total BS! (Before scientology.)

Radiohead – Just (1995) 2:25 Johnny Greenwood drives an electric bus through a plate glass window with this bone-splinteringly original distortion flutter.

Jimi Hendrix - Crosstown Traffic (1968) 0:30 One of the best uses of piano in a rock song. Industrialgrade sustain helps mask some dealer-grade lyrics.

Madonna – Like a Prayer (1989) 0:01 Madonna sings ‘life is a mystery’ over ambient gospel backings to create the first truly emotional dance song. Try feeling vaguely sexual and melancholic at nine.

Rage Against The Machine – Guerilla Radio (1999) 2:28 Tom Morello makes his guitar sound like a harmonica and discovers one thing The Beatles didn’t already do.

the Falls Festival. Sounds like a segment from Australia’s Funniest Home Videos and from time to time oSo, it was. My Falls experience started with bypassing all the car checks for smuggled alcohol because I was

an artist/VIP with a pink wrist band, an item that was worth its weight in gold, which, considering it was very thin plastic, made it worth about $3.50. Security seemed pretty tight, but the pink bracelet of power let me go pretty much anywhere. The gate people could get pretty strict. I saw one of them turn away a potteroo because it didn’t have the right wrist band on.

I set up my tent in between rain showers and spent the best part of the first afternoon trying to inflate my air mattress with a bike pump. Heath, our audio guy comes along and blows his up in three seconds with a compressor thingy. I get back at him by not sleeping. I walk about the valley and field stage with loads of people thinking I’m in one of the bands. It’s the hairdo isn’t it? It was bizarre. I decided to wear my Willy Wonka goggles and walk around with a guitar.

That’s the thing I noticed, if you wear whacky stuff and can pull it off with flair, people automatically assume you’re someone famous.

I got stopped by all manner of people saying how much they enjoyed my playing last night. I’m not sure who they thought I was. One guy just said “It’s you! I love what you do in The Kooks!” Thanks said me. It was doubly odd, because we were actually watching The

Kooks play at the time. I tended to tell people I was Jorgen, playing in an experimental Swedish hardcore blues electronica ensemble called The Infiltrated Elbow, all in a bad Swedish accent of course. It’s weird, but most people were perfectly happy to accept that as the truth.

The truth was, I did two Impro Vice shows at 3:45 each afternoon that both went really well, but I also was part of the Diamonds of Burlesque at 2:45 each morning. There’s an element of extreme sport in those shows. The girls need more time to get changed so I get thrust onto stage wearing a vinyl corset, as you do, and have to then entertain a tent full of about 300 very drunk people who are there to ogle chicks getting their gear off. Right.

Not the best start ever, but I managed to turn the waves of abusive heckling into something of a good time for myself. Why blokes insist that I should take all my clothes off is beyond me though. These are the same blokes who were calling me gay ‘cause I was wearing a corset not two minutes before. I tried to point out the irony to them. They didn’t get it. I get them back by not sleeping. Who’s a dickhead now? Huh? Yeah.

True story. sMICK LOWENSTEIN

The Short Back and Sideshow is back: 0 February 2 @ The Backspace Theatre

“Hello.”

Augie March – Owen’s Lament (2000) 5:35 Glenn Richards reaches the melodic and emotional peak of this understated opus.

o LOW Tina Turner – Simply The Best (1989) 3:05 The saxophone solo plays like a musical mass-shooting, spraying notes in all directions.

Kid Rock – All Summer Long (2008) 0:01 Pop music hits new low as elements from timeless tunes Werewolves of London and Sweet Home Alabama are forced together by Dr Wankenstein.

The Flaming Lips – The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (2006) 0:01 Fascinatingly annoying ‘ya ya’ opening counts as a dramatic failure for indie-saviours.

Enigma – Sadeness (1991) 0:22 Reverby synth-beat mixed with Gregorian chants? This has dated worse than Rolf Harris’ ‘let me abos go loose, bruce.’

IN THE PUBLIC BAR

Wednesday 7 January Frankie Thursday 8 January Deux Pervertis - 9pm Friday 9 January S&M- 9pm

Kanye West – Stronger (2007) 0:38 One of the best ever electro songs is ‘helped’ by confidently arbitrary rapping. ‘Play secretary I’m the boss tonight?’ You don’t spray paint over Picasso!

Saturday 10 January Ben Castles

Vanessa Amarosi – Absolutely Everybody (1999) 3:41 By this stage you have heard the chorus 133 times and hate absolutely everybody.

Wednesday 14 January Tobasco Tom & Doc White - 9pm

Crazy Frog – Popcorn (2005) 0:34 No, the tune alone isn’t enough, now he has Tourette’s over it. When humans are on trial, aliens will use this as evidence.

Oasis – All Around The World (1997) 9:00 In the same session Noel Gallagher will be brought to trial for Beatle-crimes. Stare in disbelief at the counter.

Cotton Eye Joe – Rednex (1994) 0:55 The worst period of music meets the worst clash of genres (country and techno). Now throw in a whiny girl singing a half-rap.

Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy (1996) 1:20 Perhaps the biggest pop-lyric logic blunder of all-time. “if it makes you happy/it can’t be that bad.” Hello... killing? sJUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD 0 www.bedroomphilosopher.com WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU

Thursday 15 January Samuel Bester - 9pm Friday 16 January Sara & Hamish - 9pm Saturday 17 January Andy & Julz - 9pm

GREAT FOOD

OPEN MIC NIGHT

THE LAST WEDNESDAY

OF EVERY MONTH

OPEN 7 DAYS

14 Brisbane Street, Launceston 6331 5346 . ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

17

STREET FASHION

BY MICHAEL BLAKE

Name: Sarah Age: 20 Favourite Band: The Brian Jonestown Massacre How do you feel about facial hair?

Only handlebar mo’s and epic muttonchops What’s the best thing you’ve done today?

Made jelly Favourite type of cheese? Brie

Name: Effie Age: 19 Favourite Band: The Cure How do you feel about facial hair?

Facial fungus What’s the best thing you’ve done today?

Bought a bikini for a guy Favourite type of cheese? Brie

Name: Nathan Age: 20 Favourite Band: Tool How do you feel about facial hair?

It’s okay What’s the best thing you’ve done today?

Been best-dressed at a fancy dress party Favourite type of cheese?

Cheddar

Name: Aeron Age: 19 Favourite Band: The Brian Jonestown Massacre How do you feel about facial hair?

Facial hair is alright What’s the best thing you’ve done today?

Bought a tacky magazine Favourite type of cheese?

Camembert

CD REVIEWS MELANIE HORSNELL Complicated Sweetheart

FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND Memory And Humanity

Life is Complicated Sweetheart, and the ups and downs, the happy and sad are all here on this CD, the latest by this skilled singer/musician /songwriter.

The band’s name can be easily mistaken for another eyeliner-wearing, fringe-posing whingeing pack of talentless nobodies in a modern music era full of the emo invasion. Instead, the Welsh quartet offers an accessible pop/rock-influenced album compared to the post-hardcore beginnings from five years ago.

I was not familiar with Melanie Horsnell, a well respected artist from Sydney who has won acclaim both in Australia and overseas. My first impression was that these tracks are very easy to listen to, to have on in the background whilst cooking or driving.

Melanie has a beautiful light, an almost breathless quality in some tracks, and in others a gentle melodic charm takes you to where she is coming from.

On listening a couple of times I noticed the exceptionally fine quality of her picking and plucking and the slight inflection on her upper notes, reminiscent of sounds from the 60s, but still unique I think to Melanie. The track, Mary Mary, launched as an EP earlier in the year is up-tempo and sweet, as is another tune from this CD I particularly like, Only Wanna Give You Love whilst Sydney After Dark has a bluesy feel nicely intermingled with some Indian or Middle Eastern flavour which is most engaging.

I’m not a big fan of the pop/folk ‘girlie’ genre, but I can certainly hear the appeal of this album. This young lady speaks from the heart, in a succinct but subtle way she tells it how it is. We can all relate to what she is singing. This CD would be a great Christmas or birthday gift, something for your sisters, daughters or girlfriend perhaps.

7/10 LALANI HYATT

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. ISSUE 85 . JANUARY 07 - JANUARY 20 2009

The band started up their own record label, Join Us Records where the label would be used to release the album in the UK, and chose Roadrunner records to export to the rest of the world. This has helped the band branch out in a creative direction without distraction, offering some decent slabs of rock anthems from first track to the last. Though the vocal style of Matt Davies did not interest me at first, it does fit the style of music and after a few listens I appreciated the whole product of the band. The first three tracks follow the same approach and are catchy, worthy of radio singledom.

Fourth track Constant Illuminations is the track that caught my attention with full-on driving energy and passion seeing Davies screaming his guts out, with groove-infused guitar playing and drum breakdowns as the outro.

Song Building proves that the band can play a more delicate tune with vocals and a clean electric guitar sound, which lyrically explores the spiritual understanding of whether God is helpful in answering all prayers, considering people still pray for forgiveness yet are not of Christian belief. The only setback of Memory and Humanity was that the first four songs make up the better part of the album, the remainder mediocre, with only partial moments in songs making any impression.

5/10 DAVID WALKER WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU